| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Be the church” Our Bible verse for today: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” Matthew 16:18 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Satan can’t stop it from happening” Matthew 16:18 is one of the most important verses in the New Testament because it teaches a vital truth that Christians need to remember – especially Christians who are facing opposition and persecution for the faith. Jesus teaches three important points here: First, the “rock” that Jesus was referring to and upon which He would build His church was Peter’s profession of faith found in verse 16, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” When people have that kind of faith, they then join Jesus on His mission to save the world and help build the kingdom of God on earth. Second, Hades was understood in Jewish culture to be the place of death and the domain of Satan. Death is something humans fear, and the threat of death is a tool Satan uses to terrorize people. In this verse Jesus used this phrase as a metaphor for the worst that Satan can throw at us. He was essentially saying that even Satan’s best efforts are not enough to prevent the spread of the kingdom of God. Third, when Jesus used the image of a gate guarding the realm of Satan, He was depicting territory and influence that Satan had gained and was ruling, and around which he erected barriers (gates) to protect his turf. Jesus says here that those gates, those barriers, will not prevent His people from recapturing territory that Satan has stolen and is ruling over. When we apply this understanding to our theme of faithfully venturing out into the world to be the church on-mission with Jesus, we realize that working through His people in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus will build His church and there is nothing Satan can do to stop it from happening. However, we might wonder if, considering what we see happening in the world all around us today, does that seems like an over-confident boast on the part of Jesus? Doesn’t it seem like Satan’s gates are holding fast and that he is claiming even more territory, and erecting even more barriers to impede and frustrate the work of the church? Was Jesus wrong and is Satan winning? I think not. More about this tomorrow. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville |
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